AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy posted his best Masters score of the week in Saturday’s third round — a 1-under-par 71 — and he still got beaten by one shot by an Augusta National member.

McIlroy, who is at 3-over par and trails leaders Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth by eight strokes, made the cut on the number at 4-over par and had to play alongside a non-competing marker — a requirement at the Masters with an odd number of players having made the cut.

That marker was a member named Jeff Knox, who owns the course record from the members’ tees at 61. Knox shot 2-under-par 70, and McIlroy said jokingly, “I thought he was going to be nice and three-putt the last and we’d have a halve.”

“Jeff is a great player,’’ McIlroy said. “He played just like he should be playing in the Masters. He obviously knows this place so well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone putt the greens as well as he does around here. I was thinking of maybe getting him to read a few of my putts out there.”

Putting has been a problem for McIlroy all week. He has 95 putts through three rounds, which included 30 on Saturday.

For Knox, it wasn’t the first time he had beaten a professional. He beat Craig Stadler both times they played together in 2003, and in 2006, he also topped Sergio Garcia.

McIlroy, whose best Masters finish is a tie for 15th, cannot avoid blowup rounds at Augusta. Five times he has recorded a round of 77 or higher.

“I don’t know what it is,” McIlroy said. “I seem to throw in a high number every year. It’s turning 77s into 72s or 73s, that’s the real key for me around here because I know when I get it going I can make a few birdies. It’s just making sure I don’t let a round get away from me, and I’ve been saying that the last three years.

“A good goal [Sunday] would be to have my best-ever finish at Augusta and go from there. My best finish here is 15th, which isn’t really anything to shout about, so it would be nice to play well [Sunday], shoot something in the mid-to-high 60s and maybe finish the week in red figures.’’

Gary Woodland looked like he would lap the field early in his round, tying the course record for nine holes on his front with a 6-under-par 30. When he birdied No. 10, Woodland was 7-under through 10 holes in his round.

But he faltered on the back, shooting 39 to finish with a 69, and is even par for the tournament.

“I was in a groove,’’ he said. “I had it going. I was thinking a low number. I was pretty much zoned in. I could hear it getting louder. I was trying to birdie every hole. I was trying to ride the momentum coming in.’’

The momentum stopped when he bogeyed No. 11 and doubled 12.

“It was a zone that you want to be in and hopefully I get back in that zone [Sunday],’’ Woodland said.

When Watson, the sole second-round leader, three-putted the sixth hole, it broke a streak of 47 holes at the Masters without a three-putt, the longest of the tournament. … Brandt Snedeker five-putted from about five feet on the par-3 fourth hole. … U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, who began this Masters 4-over par on his first seven holes, shot 69 and is 5-under since — 1-under for the tournament. … Rickie Fowler shot a 5-under 67 to move to 3-under and is in contention.